According to The Playlist, an offer is now out to Hanks to take the leading role in Paramount’s upcoming action-thriller Patriot Down, which is being produced by Kevin Walsh and Brad Weston.
“[T]he thriller centers on a U.S. president on board Air Force One when it gets shot down over Afghanistan, and of course, he has to go on the run.”
Ian Stone – who’s worked as a second assistant director on huge films like There Will Be Blood, Munich, War of the Worlds, and most recently The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn – will be making his writing debut with Patriot Down, which certainly sounds like it has some potential if Hanks were to take the leading role.
The premise itself perhaps has the potential, as many do, to be handled poorly. But when you attach the right people – of which Hanks is most definitely one – you get the impression that things are just going to turn out brilliantly for a film like this. Hanks is a brilliant and immensely talented actor, and this kind of role sounds perfect for him. His patriotic turns in Saving Private Ryan and Forrest Gump won him an Oscar nomination and an Oscar win, respectively, and there’s no doubt that the audience loves to see him play the role of the American hero.
Personally, if Hanks does take the role, this is definitely something I could get on board with (plane-related pun unintended), and I’m looking forward to hearing more on this project, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Can’t think of anybody more unqualified to play a president who makes tough decisions in a military conflict of any kind. He is an un mitigated left wing liberal who can go pound sand. He latest films all stink and the only way he can have a hit is by playing someone he is absolutely not…..
Wow, Tom Hanks in his first “direct to video” movie. After Larry Crowne it is about time.
Hanks used to be entertaining, back when he was starring in Splash and Bachelor Party. The last good role I saw for him was Mr. White in That Thing You Do.
Now he wants to play a president, who will no doubt be a “war hero” from the first Gulf War (the one the left calls the “good war”), but he’ll be a far left Democrat. No doubt the film will have a message of tolerance and understanding about Islam. News flash: America will “stay away in droves” as the paraphrase goes.
What I want to know is, “Who thinks these things up” and why does that guy still have a job? American movies are 1) “reboots” of popular stories, 2) remakes of classic movies, 3) 3D remakes or reboots of popular stories or classic movies, or 4) anti-conservative propaganda. Note: Items 1, 2, and 3 also have an anti-conservative undertone.
I think I’ll save my movie money and re-read a book.